Eat & Drink in Santiago de Compostela

You want to try out the best gourmet restaurant? You’re looking for a cosy café? You’re looking forward to relishing local specialities? Or you want to turn the night into day at a cool club? Let our select choices inspire you.

O 16 Casa de Comidas

Join the locals

Empanadas to whet your appetite, grilled octopus for the main course and cheesecake for dessert. The typical Galician meals served here are enjoyed not only by local regulars, but also by newcomers to the city. The atmosphere is unique: Spanish chatter, pretty tables and vines creeping along the stone walls and up to the ceiling.

Abastos 2.0

A gap in the market for gourmets

Two friends have quite literally filled a gap in the market here: their two-and-a-half metre wide restaurant is right next to the entrance to the Old Town market and only has one table for 12. This explains why so many local customers also tuck into the delicious food standing up! The morning produce on the market determines what's on the menu. And then, in the small kitchen right next to the diners, the Abastos team sets to turning seafood – and, to a lesser extent, meat – into delicious tapas. Local wines provide the perfect accompaniment.

A Tafona

Charming and original

Whoever eats in this restaurant always comes back, because the setting, food and value-for-money really are amazing. The rooms in this pretty house, which dates back to 1920, retain all their atmosphere due to the stone and wood features. The two friendly chefs conjure up a feast for both the stomach and the eyes – the tasting menus are the best choice here. Ingredients are sourced from the local Old Town market. The restaurant also has a wonderful tapas bar for a light snack.

Casa Marcelo

Tapas from around the world

The idea here is to taste your way around the world with tapas. The Casa Marcelo serves tapas from Spain, Peru, Mexico and Asian countries. The chef cooks in front of diners who sit together around the one long table. The idea is that diners share the different dishes, so that everyone can enjoy as many of the delicious snacks as possible.

Caney

Daring flavour combinations

As you pass by, you would scarcely believe that a gourmet restaurant lies behind the unimposing façade of the 1980s Grand Hotel Araguaney. Yet the ground floor of this five-star hotel is home to a restaurant serving innovative fusion cuisine. Chefs create special set menus inspired by the different seasons or national holidays.

Casa Camilo

The smell of the sea

Just a stone's throw away from the cathedral lies one of the oldest restaurants in the city. Camilo offers a large selection of fish specialities and Galician meat dishes. Recommendations include the mussel pie or the mixed seafood platter, while meat lovers will enjoy a dish of veal or lamb. Those who dislike an audience when they eat – the terrace is on a popular street – can find comfort on the upper floor.

Café Casino

Coffee house steeped in history

Opened in 1873, the Casino was originally ‘men only’, like a kind of private gentlemen’s club. Luckily, it opened its doors to everyone several years ago. These beautiful old rooms with large sofas are a great place to enjoy a chat over a good cup of coffee and piece of cake. People also meet here for an aperitif, occasionally accompanied by live music.

Café Derby

Trip back to the 1930s

Anyone who has not yet tried ‘chocolate con churros’ in Spain, should definitely taste them here. These dough pastries, always eaten with hot chocolate, are a Café Derby delicacy. The café, open since 1929, is also an attraction in itself. The marble bar, coloured glass windows, mahogany panelling and lavish chandeliers conjure up an era when poets and writers used to meet here.

Pub Modus Vivendi

Where horses once lived

There's always a jovial atmosphere in these former stables, dating from the 18th century. Guitarists, musicians and DJs regularly appear here, in Galicia's oldest pub. People come in droves, sitting cosily in the corners beneath the stone vaults, or getting down on the dance floor. Theatre performances and art exhibitions also take place here.

Viñoteca O Beiro

A must for wine enthusiasts

Wine-lovers are spoilt for choice in this wine bar, which has an endless range of wines to be tasted. Those who have trouble deciding can rely on the recommendation of the skilled personnel to find the perfect wine to complement the delicious, Galician cheeses and tapas.

Casa das Crechas

Local Celtic culture

Students and older people all meet in this club with a rustic décor of plates and lamps. The Casa das Crechas not only has a good reputation for its atmosphere, but also for its live Celtic music and other folk bands. International artistes and DJs also pay this club an occasional visit.